


Breathe Again

by Babet



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-11 22:19:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9036881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babet/pseuds/Babet
Summary: After a season ending injury, Ginny Baker has to decide if she wants to continue to move forward alone or rebuild the relationships she left behind.





	1. Mazatlan

He had never watched her play from this perspective before.  Sitting just under the field level awning, along the third baseline, he could see her mechanics in full form.  At the top of the sixth inning, Ginny Baker had one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts, and was on the edge of a six.  He saw the nod of her head, the wind-up, and then the pitch.

“Huelga número tres para Ginny Baker! Eso hace seis salidas de la huelga mientras que dirigimos en el fondo de la sexta entrada,” came the announcer’s voice over the loud speaker.

Mike Lawson avoided the winter ball circuit after being drafted out of college.  After wrapping up college in May, he entered a AAA-team that same month, and was called up in September as a replacement catcher following an injury, and he’d been with the Padres ever since.  Now, 15 years later, here he was in Mazatlan, Mexico, taking in winter ball as he prepared for Phase II of the “Mike Lawson Experience”.

For Mike, that originally meant a cushy studio-based gig out of Los Angeles, where he was able to talk about the players and the game he loved.  But, following the stint during the All-Star Game, he realized that it wasn’t for him. 

At the end of the Padres 2016 season, which ended after they fell two games short of the wild card, Al asked him if he had any interest in finding new talent.  While it had never crossed his mind, Al shared information on how it gave Oscar a new start after his playing career ended, and while Mike may be headed for the dugout, it would give him an understanding on the talent being pushed through the ranks.  So here he was, with Joe Amazzo, watching a mix of major and minor leaguers playing baseball in December in Mexico.

Mike knew Ginny had been sent back down for recovery.  While her torn ligament was an end to her season, it didn’t require surgery.  Just six weeks of rest, followed by a slow work-up to full-time pitching.  Blip, once they were back on speaking terms, shared that he hadn’t spoken to Ginny since she left the game the day she was injured.  With her whereabouts being off the radar, Mike wasn’t prepared to see her in Mexico.

\-----

After the Vanados won 4-1, Mike made his way down towards the teams’ exit.  As was the case in San Diego, Ginny Baker exited the stadium next to last.

“You know how to keep a man waiting, don’t ya, Baker?” Mike called out, surprising her as she made her way down the walk.

She approached him slowly, her eyebrows coming together. “What are you doing here?  How did you find out I was down here?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t come down here for you.  I didn’t know you were here until they announced you as their starting pitcher for today’s game.  I’m here on a scouting trip.”

“You’re done playing?”

“No. Not yet. But, it’s time I start to think about what comes after.  I can give you more details over a late dinner?”

“I don’t know.  I’ve got to be up early t-“

“I know. Get your work in.  But, I also know you like to ‘work hard, eat hard’.  What do you say?  You can even choose the place.”

“Alright,” she sighed. “My hotel has a decent restaurant. Hotel Playa Mazatlan.”

“I’m staying there too.  Want to meet at the restaurant in an hour?”

“That works.  I’ll see you soon.”

\------

The night was going better than Mike had originally anticipated. It took a couple of beers for Ginny to really settle in, and their banter to strike up in the way that it used to be.  Ginny discussed her recovery and why she made Mexico her rehab destination.  Mike shared how it took two weeks for Blip to start to speak to him after their spat in the dugout, but how he was able to win Blip over with new outfit for the yorkie and a case of Ballast Point.

“Why am I surprised that beer was your in once again?” Ginny asked as she laughed at his tale.

“Once again?  What do you mean?!”

“I mean, that’s how you wormed your way in to my good graces back at Boardner’s,” she noted.

Mike took a deep breath.  The last real conversation they had before now was that night at Boardner’s, and that turned awkward fast.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” he asked her directly.

She eyed him, not breaking contact until she let out a heavy sigh, “Not really.  But I guess no better place than a Mexican beach, right?”  She gazed out at the water for a bit, before turning back to him.  “Where do you want to start?”

“Why did you leave your date to come to the bar?”

“We talked every night up until the rain delay in San Diego.  I knew you felt like everything was all about me, but I was a bit stunned by how quickly you froze me out.  The text to go to Boardner’s seemed like a way back in,” she answered honestly.  “The fact that you were about to leave for Chicago made it feel urgent. I had to go.”

Mike couldn’t hold her gaze.  Instead, he thumbed his beer glass, wiping away the sweat.

“Why did you only contact me that night?” Ginny asked him.

At that, Mike snapped back to her face.  “You were – are – the only person I can be honest with.  I didn’t want to leave San Diego without being honest about how I felt about you.”

“Is that why you were going to kiss me?”

“You’re jumping the gun, Baker.  Next question is mine.”

Ginny nodded and conceded the floor.

“Why did you try to kiss me outside Boardner’s?”

A playful grin crossed Ginny’s face as she should’ve known he’d slide in her question.

“Something happened.  The mood shifted and it seemed like that’s where the night was heading.  The feelings I had were creeping to the surface under the prospect that we would no longer be teammates.”  Ginny paused before asking, “How do you feel about me now?”

“Those feelings didn’t go away. You still blow me away, Baker.”  He waited.  Watched for her response.   When she didn’t ask a question, he continued. “I know we’re teammates.”

“Technically, we’re not.”

“You’re right.  You’re in El Paso when you’re not here in Mazatlan.  It won’t stick though.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Actually, I do.  Before Joe and I headed down here to watch the winter games, Oscar reviewed the gaps in the recruitment rosters, as well as long-term prospect needs for the minors.  He made mention that he was planning to call you back up for spring training if your arm was ready, and there would be a need for us to look for a Class-A right handed pitcher to fill the back end.”

Ginny nodded her head and turned her head back towards the ocean, gazing into the distance.

“Are you still with the Silicon Valley tech guy?”

Ginny laughed slightly, and turned back to meet his gaze. “No. He’s a great guy who knows _nothing_ about baseball.  While it was nice to talk to someone about something other than the sport, it didn’t sit right that the man I was dating had no interest in the thing I’ve dedicated my life to.  And, in all fairness to him, I had zero interest in his business endeavors.  After getting injured, I realized how important it was to me to have someone I could share that with. 

“Are you still with Rachel Patrick?  I read an article in a magazine on my way out of town with Noah.”

Mike took a long sip of his beer before answering her.  “No. We barely made it a month before we realized that our divorce was not completely due to her infidelity. We weren’t the people who married eight years ago. Nevermind the fact that she refused to consider living in San Diego, and I refused to move back to L.A.  It was over before it started.”

Silence fell over both of them as they listened to the waves crash, them both wondering where they go from here. He reached out for her hand, loosening her right hand from her beer glass.  She didn’t pull away.

“Gin… I understand your rule. I do. But, I don’t want to go back to avoiding one another and the awkward exchanges we experienced in September.  I also don’t want to pretend like nothing is happening between us.”

“So what do you want to do then, Mike?  How do you get everything you want and still respect me and my wishes?”

He paused. She was getting upset. “I’m not going to get everything. I know that. I just want to be able to call or text you at the end of the day and know that you’ll answer the phone.”

She looked at him then. Trying to read him.  Wanting to confirm his sincerity.  “I’ll answer.”  She sighed deeply then. “But it won’t resolve the way we feel for one another.”

“I used to think I had at least 3 years left, and that was if I made the move to first.  After last season, I think I can say that two would come my way out of pure luck.  So, if you’re single when the end of my career comes, we can talk about it then.”

“What if you aren’t single then?”

“I’ll wait for you, Baker. Until you tell me flat-out ‘no’, I’ll wait.”


	2. Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ginny POV

Just as Mike said, Ginny was called back up to the majors just ahead of the start of spring training.   Sitting on the deck of the Sanders’ timeshare, she started to consider getting one for herself should she last another season with the Padres.

“Ginny!” Evelyn called from the house, “Do you want something to drink?  I can make a mimosa or bloody mary if you’d like.”

“Water is fine, Ev.  Thank you!” Ginny called back.

Soon, Ginny was accompanied by Blip and Evelyn at the patio table, ready to enjoy a full breakfast.

“Before we eat, I’d like to make a toast,” Blip announced to wife and friend. “To Ginny, and her hard work in rehab to ensure she’s back on the Padres roster this season.”

Ginny smiled as she clinked glasses with Blip and Evelyn. “Well, thank you,” Ginny replied. 

“We worried about you, Ginny,” Evelyn shared. “Disappearing on us after your injury like that was concerning.  Blip had to harass Oscar for your status to find out that you were sent back down for rehab!”

“I’m sorry. I just needed some space to clear my head.”

“Well, I for one is happy to have you back,” Blip shared.

“Thanks, Blip.  Let’s just hope that my contract meeting after spring training means I’ll actually get to play in the regular season and not just here in Peoria,” Ginny said.

Evelyn’s face scrunched up in confusion.  “Why are you negotiating your contract?  Isn’t that what Amelia is for?”

“She would if she were still my agent.”

“When did she stop being your agent? And why?” Blip asked.

“My last start.  She confronted Will about the restaurant, and the missing money, even though I had explicitly asked her not to get involved in my family. I called her out, we said some words, and at the end of it, I let her go.  I haven’t heard from her since.”

Evelyn eyed Blip before she replied, “Hun, Amelia got involved in the restaurant because I asked her to.”

“What do you mean _‘you asked her to’_?”

“The day of the rain delay, in San Diego, Will was talking about the interest in the bar, but Amelia kept asking about whether or not his business was settled in Charlotte.  I kept it in the back of my mind, and when there was a very large discrepancy between the ledger and the accounts, I reached out to Amelia for help because I didn’t know how to talk to you about it.”

“Ev, why didn’t you tell _me_?  Why did you go to my agent?”

“I know how close you and Will are. I figured you wouldn’t want to listen. Now that I know how things broke down between you and Amelia, I would say I was right.”

“Really?  I was the one who sent Will away af-“

“After what, Ginny?  After you looked in to the financial details of a business you invested in?  Or after he came clean to you because Amelia forced him to?” Evelyn questioned angrily.

“Ok,” Blip interjected. “Enough.  It’s done.  Gin, you need to call Amelia.  She was doing right by you. Even if it wasn’t what you wanted.”

“Blip gets in to an angry, messy, drag-out fight with his agent every time salary negotiations come around.  It’s part of the dynamic,” Evelyn shares.  “You need someone who understands how to play the front office game to keep things optimal for you.  A person with no emotional attachments. Oscar and Charlie care about winning games and making money.  That’s why they care about your arm.  They don’t care about the time spent in rehab or the physical pain you experience when an injury happens.”

“Maybe you should be my agent,” Ginny mumbles.

“No way. I’m invested in this game more than any baseball wife should be. Plus, you’re my best friend and I’ve got a restaurant to run in San Diego,” shared.  She added, “That’s why I asked Amelia to get involved.  I couldn’t handle breaking your heart.”

Ginny passes a smile towards Evelyn before replying, “I understand. I’m sorry.”

Evelyn smiles back, “You know I’m not the one you need to apologize to. But, thanks.”

“Good,” Blip says with a grin.  “Now Ginny, tell us about Mexico.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Any highlights?”

“Not many.  I pitched well down there.  Hit a 90-mile per hour fastball twice.  I’m hoping that if I keep developing strength in my right arm, I’ll be able to increase my speed a bit more, or at the very least, my spin rate.”

“That’s awesome.  Mike told me he saw you down there.”

“You saw Mike in Mexico?!” Evelyn interjected excitedly.  She still remembers Ginny’s story about their last post-game encounter back in San Diego.

“Um, yeah,” Ginny said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “He was down there with the Padres scout checking out some of the players.”

“I think it’s great he’s considering that as a route.  I’m going to get another drink.  Anyone want anything?” Blip asked.

“Yes, I’ll take a mimosa this go around, babe.  Remember, two parts orange juice, one part champagne, one part vodka.  If need be, use the bar jigger,” Evelyn requested. 

Blip stood, grabbed her glass while shaking his head at her specific request.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Evelyn turned back to Ginny, “Spill.  It takes him forever to mix a drink. What happened with you and Mike in Mexico?”

Ginny sighed and shook her head, “We talked.”

Evelyn squealed in the same way she did after Ginny shared the first encounter.  “And!?!”

“And, we talked about the night at Boardner’s. He admitted his feelings for me and I did the same,” Ginny whispered.

“What are these feelings? Did you sleep with him? Are you dating?” Evelyn rambled off.

“Mike wants to be with me.  I want to be with him. I did not sleep with him.  We kissed goodnight, but we aren’t dating.  My rule still hasn’t changed. I don’t date ball players.”

“That can’t still be in place after **_Mike Lawson_** tells you he wants to be with you and kisses you.”

“We agreed-”

“Two perfectly made mimosas coming right up,” Blip announced as he stepped on to the patio.  He noticed Ginny averting her gaze to the table, and his wife overly sunny disposition.  “What did I miss?”

“Nothing” Ginny said, at the exact same moment Evelyn stated, “Everything!”

\--------

After breakfast, Ginny debated getting her own place instead of staying with the Sanders’ during spring training if Evelyn’s breakfast inquisition was any indication of how the next two months were going to go. However, after spending Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s alone, she was looking for the company of true friends – along with her Padre family.  Plus, Evelyn and the kids were only in town on weekends so she could run the restaurant in San Diego.

As she walked into the Peoria club house, she was greeted to a round of applause by her teammates. 

“Alright, alright, quiet down,” came Al’s voice from the back of the clubhouse.  “Baker, welcome back to the ball club.  We start our first game against the Mariners in four days.  Let’s make sure we focus in during fielding today This is our year boys!”

Turning to Ginny, he says, “and lady.”

At this point, Mike Lawson rose from his chair to get the clubhouse’s attention. “This is it.  The year we go to the show. The year we let everyone know why the Padres are the best team in the country.”

“And Canada!,” Voorhies called out.

“You’re right, Dusty.  The best team in the U.S., and in Canada.  This may also be the last chance I get,” Mike stated, eyeing Ginny in the process. “I’m going to push each of you to work harder than you have before. To push your body to a place it hasn’t been before. To work harder than last season.  That’ll get us to the World Series.  But first, we’ve gotta go out there, and put the work in during spring training.  That’s where it starts. Not midseason. Not in the Wild Card hunt. Now. In February. So, let’s get to work!”

The team banged on lockers and whooped as they made their way out of the clubhouse to start fielding practice.   Ginny made her way to her locker to retrieve her glove, when she heard Mike call out her last name.   With a deep breath, she straightened her back, and made her way over to her captain.

“I already talked to Al, and he agreed that you’re not to take the mound until you review baseball traditions and rituals with Buck.”

“Traditions and Rituals? Like what?” Ginny asked.

“Like not mentioning that you’re throwing a no-hitter in the middle of doing so.”

“Oh! You meant superstitions,” she said sarcastically.

Mike eyed her seriously before replying, “You think this is a joke? There’s a reason you threw out your elbow immediately after saying ‘no-hitter’ on the mound.”

“The front office was worried about wear and te-“

“Yeah, but you and I both know that was in regards to pitch count.  Baker, I’m captain of this team, and you’re not costing this team another chance at a ring with your disregard for the game’s tradition.  Understood?”

Ginny eyed him for a while. Trying to determine if this was somehow connected to their conversation in Mexico.  Or the few times they spoken on the phone since.  But Ginny could read his seriousness, and caved. “Fine.  Where’s Buck?”

\---

Talk about grueling.  Ginny was exhausted from a day spent fielding instead of pitching, with a constant eye on whether she was side-arming the ball.   She separated from Blip, Evelyn, and the kids early, making her way towards the pool on the resort property, when her phone lit up.  Lawson.

“Yes,” she answered, a smile coming to her face.  She sat down on a pool lounger, thankful to be alone.

“Wow. No, ‘Hello, Capitan, my Captain!’,” he asked smartly.

“No.  I do have a question for you.  How much of the growth on your face is tied to superstition?  What do you think it is going to get us?”

He laughed heartily before responding, “None of it, Baker.  Don’t’ act like you don’t love the beard.”

“I don’t! Tell me, why the beard?  It wasn’t always your thing.”

“I know you imagine me as the man on your poster, but the beard is now my thing.”

“The padres last made the playoffs in, 2006?”

“Yes.”

“So, 10 years ago.  And did you have the beard then?”

“What’s your point, rookie?”

“That maybe the beard has to go in order for us to win.  By the way, I’m not a rookie anymore”

“Yeah, yeah. Where did this idea about the beard come from?”

“Those three hours I spent with Buck.”

Mike laughed then.  “I’m sorry, Baker, but it had to be done.”

Ginny smiled, then joined in on the laughter, “You remember this.  I don’t know how, or when, but I’m gonna get you back.”

“I’m counting on it,” Mike replied, his voice dropping slightly. They both allowed silence to take over the call at that point, not knowing the right way to move forward, until finally Mike spoke. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“No specific plans yet.”

“Do you want to come over?  I-”

“Mike-s”

“Ginny, it’s not that kind of request.”

“And here you go again with the first name!” Ginny said, trying to lighten the mood.

Mike chuckled slightly, then continued, “I have a party every year to celebrate the season. The entire team comes, including Oscar, significant others, and their kids.”

“Oh,” Ginny sighed.  This is what she wanted. To be teammates. However ready she was to admonish him for making a personal request, she had to acknowledge that she was disappointed to be relegated to being only a teammate now. “That sounds great.  I’m assuming Blip and Evelyn are in the loop, too.”

“Are you kidding me? This party was a bucket of beer and some music until Evelyn Sanders came along.  Now, it’s full-on event.”

“I should’ve known.  I’ll ride over with them then.”

“Sounds good,” Mike said before silence fell over them again. “So…”

“So…”

“What are you wearing right now?”

“We’re done! Bye,” Ginny said with laughter.

“Alright, alright.  I’ll see you tomorrow, Baker,” Mike said before ending the call.

Ginny laid back on the lounger, and let out a deep sigh.  She couldn’t help the smile that came to her face, or the flutter in her chest.  It was ridiculous.  It was a two-minute call about superstitions and a party.  But, it was also the opening towards what might be a year or two from now.  At 24, she could wait.

\----

True to form, this was an Evelyn Sanders party.  Full catering, great music, even better food.  Mike had a huge home in Peoria, complete with a full-sized front yard, and an oversize backyard and pool. Inside, the home featured a large great room – perfect for entertaining.  Ginny was surprised. Why buy a home of this size when you’re the only one living in it? For only two months?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Mike asked Ginny, approaching her on the edge of the backyard, near the kitchen.

“I was thinking about how amazing your house is.”

“Thank you.  Has Evelyn taken you on a full tour yet?  You know, she convinced me to buy it.  Said a hotel wasn’t the image for the team captain.  Next thing I know, I had listings and options emailed to me all day.”

“Sounds like Evelyn.”

“Let’s go on a tour,” Mike said, leading her inside and up the back stairwell.  “There are three rooms on this level.  I had the floorplan re-done so there would be a bathroom for each room. Robles and Javanes are across here, and Melky has that room on the end.”

“The guys stay here too?” Ginny asked surprised.  Knowing that Mike lived alone in San Diego, she imagined his life being solitary in Arizona.

“Yeah. It gives some of the new guys a place to crash, and then some of the vets, like Melky, don’t bring their families out due to the timeline with school and work.”

“You’ve got yourself a bit of a frat house here Lawson.”

“Just a bit,” he said softly, leading her down the hall and back down the main stairwell.  Making a right, they entered the master bedroom.  Ginny’s eyes went wide at the sight of it.  Large windows, cozy seating, and oversized bed with a mid-century feel.  It didn’t say Mike Lawson. It had a woman’s touch to it. “Evelyn designed the room.”

At that comment, Ginny smiled.  She appreciated her friend’s hard work, but also in relief, that someone intimately attached to Mike hadn’t spent their time creating this space.  “What are you going to do with the house after you retire?”

“I’ll keep it.  It’s paid for.  I’ll come out for games, and when I don’t, I’ll rent it out to other players.  Who knows, maybe in a few years you’ll stay here,” he said, the innuendo not lost on Ginny.

“Maybe,” she replied with a small smile before walking out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments and kudos on the last chapter!


	3. Location

For a city that isn’t her home (and couldn’t be further from what her hometown is), Ginny felt good to be back in San Diego. After a successful run in Arizona (they ended spring training, 22-9), she felt ready to take on regular season play.

As she took in the view of Petco from her hotel room, she couldn’t help but imagine how good it would feel to take that field again and pitch from that mound.  Before that happened though, she needed to speak with Amelia, and then meet with the front office.

Anxious would be the best way to describe Ginny this morning.  She was dressed smartly in a pair of black cigarette pants, a cream blouse, and black pumps.  She knew that she needed to look the part to prove to Amelia that she was serious about having her back as her manager.  At five minutes to 9:00AM, she picked up her training bag, suit jacket and phone, and made her way down to the lobby.

A month earlier, she called Eliot.  He was still managing her social media accounts (despite the fact she hadn’t paid him to do so), and figured he would be able to best advise her on how to reach out to Amelia.

_“Amelia is all about a good investment.  She’s worked with more high profile and high maintenance clients than you. She can move past whatever spat happened between you two,” Eliot said._

_“I’m high maintenance?” Ginny asked._

_“Uh, no.  What I meant…what I was trying to -”_

_“It’s okay, Eliot,” Ginny replied, sensing his guilt._

_“You know, I was there when she walked out of CAA.  The day she decided to manage you.  Something was different regarding her affect.  She had a sense of purpose when she decided to go to Texas to see if she could sign you.  Tap in to that.”_

_“How? The only she told me about coming down to Texas was that she ‘knew I needed her’.”_

_“Well, maybe she needed you, too,” he said._

\----

Amelia was seated at a corner table when Ginny walked in to the hotel restaurant.  As she slid in to the booth, she could the chill coming off from Amelia.

“Thank you for coming down here to meet with me this morning,” Ginny said softly, hoping to appear humble.

“Of course,” Amelia replied curtly. “So, why am I here?”

“Oh, um.  Did you want to order food first?” Ginny asked.  Amelia stared at her, providing no response to Ginny’s question. “Okay.  Firstly, I want to apologize for how I approached you about my brother.  While my family matters are separate from my work endeavors, I want you to know that I appreciate your investment to me as a professional and as a person.  The fact that you were willing to support my friends in the name of protecting their interests and mine, says a lot about you and means a lot to me.  I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.  You saying that means a lot.”

“I know you’re busy with high-profile movie stars, but I would like to ask you to return as my agent.  My career is about more than me, and you’re the only person that I think can understand that.”

“Ginny,” Amelia started.  She hesitated.  Working with Ginny (she refused to think as working for her) was as professional highlight.  Navigating the boys club that was professional sports wheeling and dealing, while also setting the stage for female athletes that will follow behind Ginny Baker was important to Amelia.  It also gave her a purpose beyond dollar signs for being committed to her work.  But she was hurt.  Ginny’s reduction of her to just paid staff was not what she went to South Texas for. “While I appreciate the apology, I don’t think we’re on the same page regarding what you want, or need, in an agent.”

Ginny’s mouth opened, and then closed.  It wasn’t the response she thought she would hear. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, the last time you described my role, is to take 10% of your check and do what you ask me to.  I don’t view it the same way.”

“Amelia, I’m looking for an agent who will help me make the best decisions to allow me to play the game I love.  Who will consult with me on matters that will impact my professional success, but respect that the decision is mine.  I need someone who can be a friend.  That’s what I need in order to keep playing baseball at this level.”

“I’ve been paying Eliot’s salary for the last seven months.  He’s been monitoring the internet traffic, keeping your social media accounts active.  Before we agree to work together again, we need to talk about something. Or someone, I should say.”

Ginny’s face scrunched in confusion, “Who?”

“Mike Lawson.”

“What about him?”

“There were photos of you two at a beachside restaurant in Mexico. A couple of the pictures showed him holding your hand.  The pictures appeared on a Mexican Newspaper site, and were sold to a U.S. tabloid,” Amelia explained as Ginny’s head fell in to her hands. “What’s going on, Gin?”

“Nothing.  He was down there on a scouting trip, we were staying at the same hotel and went to dinner to catch up.”

“Yeah, that works for the media. It doesn’t work on me.  There was something going on at the end of December, and from the pictures I saw, it looked to me there was a bit more than just catching up. I know you and him.  I can’t protect your interests if I don’t know what may threaten them.”

Ginny looked around to make sure they were out of earshot before she started, “Mike and I have feelings for each other.  However, nothing is going to happen before he retires.”

Amelia sighed deeply. “Do you really think you can wait that long?  You’re talking at least a year, if not two.”

“I don’t know.  But that’s where things stand at the moment.”

“Okay then. Okay,” Amelia said, her mind processing this information.  While she knew that Mike Lawson wasn’t invested in her during their time together, she didn’t realize that Ginny played a role in that. “I’ll return as your agent.  However, I want a raise – 12%.  I’ll work to increase your salary with the front office and it’ll allow me to increase Eliot’s pay as a thank you for his work over the winter.  However, we need to get in front of this thing with you and Mike Lawson.”

“Amelia, we aren’t going to do anything,” Ginny said firmly.

“If only I had the time to count every time I heard that from a previous client regarding their ingénue lead actress or their supporting male costar. Whether or not something happens while you’re both playing is not the point.  It’s about making sure that whenever it happens, you’re still viewed as a ball player, and not simply the girlfriend to a hall of fame bound catcher.”

“Alright. If you can secure a 5-10% raise, I’ll pay you 12%. And I’ll cover Eliot’s pay for the last few months,” Ginny said.

Amelia nodded, and extended her hand along with a smile, as a way to restart their business relationship. “So, when are you scheduled to discuss your contract with Oscar and Charlie?”

“In an hour.  I hope you’re still free.”

\------

Walking through the Petco clubhouse felt a bit surreal.  When Ginny left her last game with an injury, that was the last time she was here.  Blip cleaned out her locker at the end the season. Now, she entered the small room that had become her closet and prepared to make her official return in the regular season.  She stood in the small bathroom of her locker when she heard a knock on the door.  She was unable to respond before Lawson entered the room.

“Hey,” he said, as she stepped out of the bathroom and towards her cubby. “You look really nice.”

“Thanks.  I had a meeting with the front office today.”

“How did those go?” he asked, taking a seat in the second chair in her locker.

“Good,” Ginny shared with a slight smile. “Three-year contract with no-trade agreement in the first year, five percent raise, but limited to seven innings a game this season.”

“That’s enough to take the win.  How’d it go with Amelia?”

Ginny fell silent.  She told Mike that she was meeting with Amelia over the phone last night, but didn’t mention the meeting with the front office.  She wanted to hear if there would be any reaction, knowing they dated each other a little less than a year ago.  She was satisfied by his response.  Now, she ran Amelia’s question about her and Mike through her mind.  She moved things around in her locker, but didn’t seem to actually do anything.

“Ginny,” Mike said softly. 

She turned her head to him then, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and when she reopened them, the tears were gone. “She knows. About us.”

“What do you mean? What is there to know?  As far as I know, there isn’t an us right now.”

“There were pictures of us in a Mexican newspaper, from when we went to dinner in Mazatlan.  Apparently, they were picked up by a tabloid here in the states.  Amelia put a stop to it, so they never ran, but she said she could tell something was up from the photos.  She asked, and in trying to get her back on board as my agent, I had to tell her the truth,” Ginny shared.

“Well, that’s great,” Mike said sarcastically.  “Well, what’s the plan now?”

“Nothing’s changed.  We’ve just have a professional spin cycle for when it does.”

Mike watched her then, which made Ginny nervous.  She couldn’t read him. This dance between the two of them was becoming exhausting.

She had to break the silence, “I’m sure you didn’t come in here to discuss my contractual meetings this morning.  What’s up?”

Mike cleared his throat, “I wanted to see if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight.  Now I’m not too sure if that’s a good idea.  You know, with the tabloids and all.”

“Maybe not out, but the Omni has excellent room service if you want to come over and watch a movie later?”

“That works too.  I’ll see you this evening, Gin,” Mike said upon standing, as he prepared to exit the room.

“I’ll see you on the field, Lawson.”

\-----

Ginny was proud of herself and Mike – she threw her best start in a while, only allowing for two hits and a single run, and he called pitches perfectly – for maintaining their professionalism on the field and in the clubhouse.  As she waited for Mike to show up to her hotel room, Ginny was no longer sure ordering room service was her best decision, but after an exhausting day she wanted nothing more than to spend time with someone she trusted who wouldn’t interrogate her (Evelyn), or exhaust her further (Blip and the kids).

Before she could question her choice further, she heard a knock on her door.   Upon opening the door, not only is Mike Lawson in front of her, but he’s carrying food.  Without words, she steps back to allow him in to her suite.  He walked to her kitchenette, and began pulling out containers out of the bag he’d been carrying.

“What you got there?” Ginny asked, making her way to stand beside him.

“I stopped by Lolita’s before I walked over here,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You know, the best chance we have for becoming an ‘us’ is to not have everyone in our business.  So, I left my car at Petco, walked to Lolita’s, and then made my way here, so we wouldn’t need to invite a waiter up here.”

“Wow,” she said with a large grin.  Mike turned to her then, and the moment between them was palpable.  He started to move in closer, and once again, Ginny no longer cared about her code.  The kiss was exactly what she needed – slow and passionate.   Eventually, Mike pulled away, but kept his forehead pressed against hers.  They had done this occasionally since their first kiss in Mexico.  Some friends may greet with a hug, theirs would often be short, chaste kisses like that.

“We should eat before the food gets cold,” Mike whispered.

“Way to kill the mood, old man,” Ginny responded with a smile.

Mike chucked then, and then moved away from her.

“So, what did you get?” Ginny asked.  “Nothing with cilantro, I hope.”

“No, no cilantro. I haven’t lost all sense and reason, Ginny.”

She smiled at the use of her name. It was the indication that she wasn’t just his teammate that the moment.

“I picked up an order of carne asada fries, five rolled tacos, and chicken enchiladas,” he stated.  Mike plated the food for them both, while Ginny grabbed beers out of the fridge, and her shoulder wrap out of the freezer.  They moved to the sofa of her living area, where Mike helped her wrap her shoulder before eating.

“So good!  No one does Mexican food better than San Diego,” Ginny said as she ate eagerly.

“How long are you planning to stay here?” Mike asked, looking around her hotel suite.

“What do you mean?” Ginny asked.  She’d come to enjoy the hotel after the dumps she lived in while playing in the minors.

“You can’t live in a hotel forever.  Also, it must be costing you a fortune.  You should really look at buying a place,” Mike suggested.

“But, if I get traded at the end of the season, then I have a house in a city I won’t live in or come to.”

“Hopefully, there was a reason you’d come back to San Diego,” Mike said. He wanted her to think of San Diego as home, because it was where he would be.

She smiled at him then.  “Okay.  So, what is the middle ground. I don’t want to buy a ten million dollar estate that I need to sell in a year.”

“Buy a house.  You signed a huge endorsement deal last year; you can buy a decent investment property without it becoming a financial burden”

“I’m assuming you have a realtor,” Ginny stated more so than asked. She knew he rarely made a move without thinking about the next three that would follow it.

Mike smiled before replying, “Sure do.  I’ll call her tomorrow.  Now, what are we watching tonight?”

After watching the first half of the movie on the suite sofa, they moved to lay down on her bed.   They turned the film on in her room, with them both laying on top of the duvet.  Tonight, Ginny continued to live in her dream world as she curled in to Mike’s side to watch the movie. Soon enough, they were both asleep.

\----

Harsh knocking jolted Ginny from her sleep.  She hopped off the side of the bed, removing the wrap she had fell asleep in, and went to open the door.  Without even checking, she swung the door open to reveal Evelyn outside her door.

“Were you sleeping?” Evelyn said as she pushed inside.

“Yes, it’s early,” Ginny said, before turning to Evelyn, who stood in her living room with a shocked face.

“What is he doing here?” Evelyn asked.

“Nothing happened,” Ginny mumbled, hoping her panic didn’t show in this moment. She forgot Mike stayed over, as she rolled towards the other side of the bed (and away from him) as she slept. “Let me wake him.”  Ginny walked to him, and gently shook his shoulder.  His eyes popped open.

“What time is it, Baker?” Mike asked, easily retreating to calling her by her last name.

“It’s about 9AM.  And Evelyn’s here.”

At that, Mike sat up, and waived to a waiting Evelyn. “Hey,” he said.  He looked back at Ginny for a moment, and then hopped out of bed to make his way towards the door. “I’ve gotta make my way home before BP at noon.  Evelyn, great to see you.  Baker, I’ll see you later this afternoon.”

“Bye, Mike!” Evelyn replied cheerily.

Mike slipped out the door, giving Ginny a nod as he did so.

“Oh, you have so much explaining to do!” Evelyn said with a grin.

“Not happening,” Ginny said.

 


	4. Aloha

Ginny and Mike spent the next week looking at different properties all over San Diego.  He originally encouraged her to look in Solana Beach, something close to his house in Del Mar, and not too far from Blip and Evelyn in Encinitas.  However, Ginny didn’t understand living so far north if she had to report to Petco Park, or the airport, on a regular basis.  Also, not having a car in San Diego will make some decisions for you.  Ginny’s search narrowed to downtown, South Park, North Park, Banker’s Hill, Hillcrest, Mission Hills and Little Italy. 

When she saw the home, it took her by surprise.  Ginny imagined buying a home like the one she grew up in back in North Carolina, or a Spanish style casita that Southern California was known for.  Something modest. Instead, she fell in love with a three-story, three-bedroom home in Bankers Hill, with a full gourmet kitchen, a courtyard with an outdoor kitchen and pizza stove, surrounded by trees with access to a canyon planted by Kate Sessions and the Spruce Street Bridge.  After having Amelia and Evelyn view the home, she asked Mike to call his agent to make an offer. Now, almost three months after purchasing the home, she was ready to move-in to her first permanent home.  

“Ginny, tomorrow morning, at 10:00AM, you have an interview scheduled with an associate editor at Shape magazine at the Omni.  Do you think you’ll run in to any issues making it downtown in time?” Amelia asked. 

“I’ll make the interview.”

“Also, we need to discuss your plan for the ESPYs and some new endorsement deals on the table.  Eliot has started prepping your press kit, so I’ll need to review that with you after the interview.”

“Sounds good. Amelia, thank you. I truly do appreciate you and the work you do,” Ginny told her over the phone.

“It’s my job. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for the interview.”

As she hung up the phone, Evelyn arrived at the now empty house. “Wow! While I’m sure it was a pain to wait for this place to get updated, it seems to have been worth it.  This place looks amazing!”

While the outside of the house and the bones of the property were great, the inside wasn’t quite up to Ginny’s style.  So, she had the carpets ripped out in order to have hardwood floors installed, swapped out cabinets, removed wood paneling, and installed a top of the line security system.

“Thanks, Ev.  Are you ready to get the space set-up?” Ginny asked.

“Ready to go.  Mike pulled up right behind me, so he can help us pull the smaller items that we bought out of my SUV until the movers arrive with the furniture.”

Over the course of the next five hours, Evelyn, Mike and Ginny managed to clean, furnish, and decorate Ginny’s new home, while playing music and drinking beers (well, she and Mike did anyway). After they finished, Ginny reached in to her fridge to pull out a fresh set of beers.

“Oh, none for me.  I have to drive back up to Encinitas to pick up the boys from their afterschool program and then drop them off for archery practice,” Evelyn said. “I got a message from Blip earlier, and he wanted me to wish you a happy moving day!”

Blip made the All-Star line-up for the Padres.  Ginny asked not to be considered this year as she wanted to save her arm, and Mike sat out consideration in order to save his knees for what would likely be his final postseason.  It worked out perfectly that the house was finished just before the All-Star break allowing them to take advantage of the break to make this transition.

“Lawson, you game to celebrate my new house with me?” Ginny asked before uncapping a beer for him.

“Absolutely,” he eagerly responded, accepting the open beer from Ginny.

“Well, I should make my way before traffic gets crazy,” Evelyn said as she made her way to hug Mike goodbye, before stopping to give Ginny a hug.  She whispered, “Don’t have too much fun celebrating!”

Ginny shot her a look as she made her way out the door.

“Let’s toast,” Mike said, bringing Ginny’s attention back to the other person in the room. “To making San Diego home.”

“Making San Diego home,” Ginny said with a smile. “Let’s go sit on the upper-deck.”  They climbed the stairs to third floor, making their way to the deck Ginny had added to her master bedroom.  Ginny threw herself down on the double chaise and patted the cushion for Mike to join her.

“You made a good choice, Gin,” Mike said.  “I mean, you could’ve gotten an ocean view **_and_** a pool if you went with a house in Solana Beach, but, if you had to settle…”

Ginny kicked him slightly for that comment. “You know what, old man?”

“What?”

“I may just uninvite you from my house,” Ginny said with a laugh.

“That’s okay.  I have a beach house with a pool that I can enjoy,” At that, her jaw dropped in feigned shock.  Mike reached over to pull her closer to him with that reaction.  Ginny curled in to his side as she continued to laugh.

“Don’t think this means that we’re good!”

“That’s exactly what it means,” Mike said.

Ginny decided to seize that moment.  After a day spent drinking beer and moving furniture, she found just enough of a buzz to remove her inhibitions.  She propped herself up slightly, and kissed him.

The kiss was different.  Their last kiss was three months ago, in her hotel room, and had been a quick, sweet moment letting her know the door was open.  This kiss was passionate and exciting.  Mike’s hand found his way to Ginny’s thigh, sliding up to her hip, while Ginny’s hand made her way to the hem of Mike’s shirt.  Mike’s lips started to move towards Ginny’s jawline when she pulled back from him.

“Are you okay?” Mike asked as he rubbed her hip.

This was her moment. Her chance to decide what step they took next.  Ginny was impressed.  She was sure any other guy would’ve asked her ‘why’d you stop?’ instead of ‘are you okay?’, and with that knowledge, she felt comfortable with her response.

“Let’s go inside.”

 

\------

 

Ginny woke in a panic as she felt the sun on her face.   Checking her phone on her new bedside table, it read 9:40AM.

“Shit,” she called out, while leaping from the bed.  She was about to be late to the 10AM meeting she promised Amelia she would be on time for.  She hopped out of bed, wrapping a blanket around herself.

“What?” Mike asked groggily, as he watched her run around the bedroom.

“Where the hell are all of my clothes?!” Ginny asked to no one, as she threw open empty drawer after empty drawer.

“The Omni.  You said you wanted to move them after your meeting, just to be sure that all the furniture was installed without issue,” Mike said as he rolled back to sleep.

That’s right.  Because she wasn’t planning to stay at the house last night.  She wasn’t planning on sleeping with Mike Lawson.  “Oh no, you have to get up, old man.  I need you to drive me to the Omni.  We need to leave in the next three minutes.”

Mike groaned as he moved to find his clothes.  Ginny watched him momentarily, before grabbing her clothes from across the floor, and shuffling in to the bathroom to dress.

A minute later, Ginny emerged to find Mike dressed, and ushered him downstairs to his car.  “Do you need me to drive?” she asked him.

“No, I’m good,” Mike said, hoping in the driver’s seat. They hoped in the car, and Mike made his way as fast as he could.  “Are you good?”

“If I get there at 10, I will be,” Ginny replied. She popped a stick of gum in her mouth and avoided looking in his direction.

“Are you good with last ni-“

“Mike, I can’t think about that right now.  In a few minutes, I need to sit down with a magazine editor and talk about how great my teammates are on the field – not the bedroom.”

“So… I was great?” Mike asked cockily.

Ginny laughed.  “Just keep making these green lights, old man.”

\------

With a minute until 10:00AM, Ginny hoped out of Mike’s SUV and walked in to the Omni.  She made her way to the restaurant on the second floor, where she found Amelia sitting with another woman, presumably the magazine editor.

She waived at them, immediately noticing the ire in Amelia’s eyes.  Amelia didn’t miss the fact that Ginny came up the escalator instead of down the elevator.

“Ginny, this is Charlotte Tunney, associate features editor for Shape magazine.  Charlotte, this is Ginny Baker,” Amelia said.

Ginny reached out to shake her hand. “Ms. Tunney, very nice to meet you.  My apologies for my appearance.”

“No worries. We like to see our interviewees in their everyday attire.  Gives us a sense of who they are.  Now, who are you, Ginny?” Charlotte asked.

Luckily, the interview went fairly quickly.  By 11:30, she was out of the restaurant and headed up the elevator to her hotel suite.  As soon as she dropped down on to the bed, she heard a fierce knock from the door.  She moved off the bed, and opened the door for Amelia.

“What the hell was that?” Amelia asked, storming into the hotel suite, furious with Ginny

“I’m sorry.  It got late last night, I ended up staying at the house, and woke up late,” Ginny explained.  She hoped the general response would satisfy her.

“Mike Lawson stayed too?”  Amelia questioned as Ginny’s eyes widened in surprise. “I was in the lobby waiting for you when his car pulled up.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Ginny, I know how you and Mike feel,” Amelia said, softening her tone. “I’ll be honest, it touches a bit of a nerve because I know that he used me to put off how he was feeling about you -”

“Amelia,” Ginny said, pained by the emotion she saw on her agent’s face.  An emotion she hasn’t been privy to previously.

“But,” Amelia continued, “I don’t want him to be the featured story of your career. I want it to be about you.  As a woman, as a player, as the first.  Not about Mike Lawson’s conquests!”

“That’s what I want, too.”

“Then you need to make some decisions, Gin.  I can see that there’s something you’re not telling me about you and Lawson. You either need to be with Mike Lawson and let me control the narrative, or you need to not be with him.”

“Amelia, mine and Mike’s status hasn’t changed.  He’s my friend. One of the few that I have here. We’re not dating.  When that changes, you’ll be able to get in front of it.  If anyone approaches you about it, you can say to them with certainty that Mike Lawson and Ginny Baker are close friends and colleagues, in the same way that Ginny Baker is good friends with Blip Sanders, Livan Duarte, or Sonny Evers.  A single man and a single woman are not automatically romantically intertwined because they work together.”

 Amelia looked at her, and knew. Knew a line had been crossed. Knew that Ginny was in dangerous territory. But she also knew that Ginny wouldn’t be pleased with her if she pushed any further. Plus, her statement was correct. “Okay then. Let’s talk ESPYs.  I have a stylist coming at 2:00PM to fit you for your gown. We’re going full glam.”

“Have you heard anything about my odds? I don’t want to turn in to a mess on stage if I actually do walk away with one of these.”

“My contacts think there’s a good chance that you’ll win the Best Female Athlete award.  You have a shot at the Comeback award.  With a 12-2 regular season record so far, you’ve got the best pitching record in the league right now. The team is 50/50 in the Best Game award for your final game last season.”

“I can’t believe it,” Ginny said with a smile.

“Well, before we jump in to media prep, let’s talk endorsements.  After a bit of back and forth, I negotiated an offer with Beats and Gatorade.  Beats will pay $3 million for one year of advertisements and personal promotion – you’ll wear their headphones to the gym, runs around San Diego, etcetera.  Gatorade is offering $5 million for advertisements over the next two years.  They want to do some test shots this weekend to build a campaign before they make an official offer.  What do you think?”

“This is amazing.”

“There’s also a preliminary offer on the table.  I’ve been contacted by the marketing department at Versace about having you be the face of their winter campaign.  They’d shoot the ads in New York, all winter wear and glamour shots.  What do you think?”

“No.  I can appreciate the beauty and glamour of Versace, but it’s worn by 50-year-old housewives who seek to glamourize the mundane.  That’s not connected to me at all,” Ginny replied.

“No worries.  This is exactly where we want to be - in a position to accept and turn down offers of your choosing.”

“Amelia, I wanted to discuss something with you.”

“What’s up?” Amelia asked.

“I don’t know how long of a career I have.  It may be 15 years, it may be 5.  But, I’m not sure I want to go back to playing in the minors.  This winter felt like a step back, and I only want to be progressing forward.  So, I’m starting to think about what I can do after baseball.  My first thought was to go back to school.”

“That’s great.  I’ll ask Eliot to research options and see how you can make classes work with your playing schedule.”

“Thanks.  So, press questions?”

\-----------

After wrapping up press prep and first round of fittings for the ESPYs, Ginny began packing up her suite at the Omni.  It was weird to think that she wouldn’t have turn down service, or fresh towels delivered daily, but Ginny was looking forward to the normalcy of living in her own space again.

A knock on the hotel door interrupted her thoughts.  She made her way to open the door, finding Mike on the other side. She moved out of the way so he could enter the suite, and shut the door behind him.

“Are you alone?” Mike asked her.

“Yup,” she said, avoiding his gaze and moving past him in to the bathroom as she continued to pack.

“Are you going to talk to me?”

“Yes, as soon as I finish in this bathroom,” Ginny replied.  A moment later, she walked back to the living space, and sat on the couch opposite of Mike.  “You know, I dated a player once. While I was in San Antonio.  I broke my code for him.  The short version of that story is, he made our relationship public to other players in the Texas league under the guise that he’d be leaving the game. Instead, he got called up rather quickly to the bigs. After we broke up, I was mocked by other players who wanted to sleep with me thinking it would get them to the majors, and four years later, I had nude photos of me floating on the internet.”

“Who was it?”

“Trevor Davis.  The Cardinals player we got into a brawl with last season.”

Mike laughed at the realization.  “I should’ve known there was a reason you were so guarded after talking to him in the hallway last year.”  He paused for a moment to watch her, before continuing. “Gin, last night, I wasn’t thinking clearly, and just wanted to be with you. I know we can’t move forward right now.”

“We both participated knowing it couldn’t go anywhere. At least officially, publicly,” Ginny explained. “Amelia saw me getting out of your car this morning and called me out on our status.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That you and I weren’t dating. I also told her that you and I were still going to spend time together, because we’re close friends and colleagues.  She can explain our dynamic the same way to the media.”

“Is that how you want to be?”

“No.  I’m tired of living my life for this game.  But professionally, I can’t afford to be seen as Mike Lawson’s girlfriend right now.  I don’t like lying to Amelia, but if we do this, no one but us can know right now. Not her, or Blip, or Evelyn.”

Mike flashed her a look and a small smile, “Just us.  Do you need help packing, or are you ready to get this stuff back to your new place?

Ginny flashed a small smile before responding. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!


	5. Bedroom Wall

“This is it. Hands down.  You’re going to be on every best dressed list imaginable!” Amelia exclaimed.

Ginny was standing in Cinq à Sept’s Phoenix gown, in a deep coral color.  She too knew that it was the one. “You’re going to kill it tonight,” Amelia said happily.  “When will the others get here?”

“You’ll see them all soon.   We agreed to meet here at 11:30. You and I will take the first limo.  Mike is riding with Blip and Evelyn.  Livan is going to come over as well,” Ginny shared.

 “Sounds good.  Now after, we’ll hit the ESPN party, then make our way to-“

“Amelia, I don’t think I’ll have it in me to do more than one event.  I plan to come back down here to sleep after.  However, I know you still have a home in LA so feel free to go on without me,” Ginny said with a knowing smirk.  Amelia lived for events where she could mingle with the heavy hitters, and any post-ESPY part was going to include sports starts, movie stars and music stars in one room.

“Alright,” Amelia said.  Ginny made her way upstairs to change out of her dress, and left Amelia in the great room. They planned to make their way starting at noon, with the goal to be at their L.A. hotel to freshen up at 2:30, and on the red carpet in downtown L.A. by 3:15PM.

\-----

What should’ve been a two-and-a-half-hour ride, with traffic, had now evolved into three-and-a-half-hours.

“I can’t believe how long it took to get through Orange County.  As per usual, Ave Pico was backed up for no reason,” Amelia complained.

“Well, we won’t have time to stop at the hotel before.  It’s 3:00PM now, we’re still 20 minutes from the theatre.  Should I start changing in the car?” Ginny asked.

While not ideal, Amelia knew the limo line could be another 10-15 minutes, putting her on the red carpet just before they closed it down.  “Yes.  Good thing we did hair and make-up in San Diego.”

After a quick change in the car, ensuring the dress had no wrinkles, Amelia began buckling Ginny’s black, single-strap, high-heeled sandals. 

Ginny picked up her phone, and sent Mike a message on snapchat.  She was able to convince him to use this particular app because of its self-deleting message feature, and the cute face filters.

 **Ginny:** No time to stop at the hotel.  You missed the show I just put on in the back of my limo. 

 _Mike:_ Can you recap it for me?

 **Ginny:** Well, let’s just say that undergarments don’t work with this dress, and I just pulled off a quick change in my limo.

 _Mike:_ Don’t tell me anything else. I need to be able to act like I don’t want to have sex with you tonight.

 **Ginny:** Good luck with that!

Pulling up to the red carpet, Evelyn and Blip walked first, followed by Livan, and then Mike.  Ginny watched him in his suit, as she prepared the make her exit.  Amelia got out of the car first, then made her way on to the carpet.   She signaled for Ginny, and she opened the door to make her exit.

Stepping on to the red carpet, the energy changed.  She could hear the roar of the fans, and the photographers yell out her name.   Towards the middle of the carpet, she met up with her teammates for a photo, and could feel Mike’s eyes on her. They stood for a photo, with Livan whispering in her ear.

“Mamí, you out did yourself,” Livan said.  Ginny laughed slightly, keeping her face towards the press pool.

After completing a few red-carpet interviews, she made her way inside the theatre.  Ginny was seated between Evelyn on her right, and Mike on her left.  Amelia found her way to a lounge to network with other agents and corporate sponsors.

Evelyn leaned over and whispered, “You are killing it – in that dress.  Let’s see if he,” Evelyn paused and gestured towards Mike before continuing, “can keep it together when you four present later this evening.”

“Stop it,” Ginny said, laughing. 

“I’m serious.  Mike’s eyes haven’t come off that leg since you popped it out of the limo,” Evelyn said, shooting a look in Mike’s direction.  When Ginny also turned to look, Mike’s eyes popped up and blush creeped to his cheeks.  Ginny and Evelyn broke out in laughter.

The show proceeded as normal, with Ginny truly enjoying herself.  Her eyes lit up as Blip and Mike took the stage.

Blip started, “Each year, we honor the female athletes who showcase the best in athleticism amongst their peers.  This year, female athletes raised the bar even further.”

“From breaking records, to breaking barriers, these are the nominees for Best Female Athlete,” Mike said.

Ginny watched the package that included her, Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, and Michelle Carter.   She felt intimidated. Her record was nowhere near these ladies.

“Ginny Baker.”

Ginny was distracted from her thoughts upon hearing her name.

“Go!” Evelyn said, pushing Ginny out of her chair and towards the stage.  As she made her way, she gave Mike a quick hug, before making her way to Blip for a hug as she accepted the trophy.

“Wow. I, um, I was sitting in my seat thinking about how amazing all of these other athletes are.  Breaking records, breaking preconceptions about our abilities and our limits.  I share this award with each of you. Thank you to my mom, my brother, my best friend Evelyn, to Amelia and Eliot. Each of you play a role in my success. And to my teammates, Blip, Livan, Mike, and the others who are enjoying their break, thank you.  Baseball is about individual ability as much as it is about teamwork, and I wouldn’t be successful without your support. We did it!”

Ginny finished with a note to her dad.  After making her way backstage, she started to tear up. Mike and Blip looked at her in shock.

“Baker, it’s an ESPY,” Mike said, hugging her around her shoulders. “You can cry after we win the World Series, okay?”

Ginny took a deep breath, and smiled at him and Blip. “Okay.”

\----

That night, Blip walked away with the Best MLB Player, and Livan, Mike, and Ginny left with the Best Play Award for the one-pitch, two out play they made last season in San Francisco.

The ESPN after party was the most fun Ginny had in a while.  She took pictures with her idols, hit the dance floor, and talked with some up-and-coming players like herself. But, by 10PM, she was exhausted. She bid her farewells to Blip, Evelyn, and Mike at the bar, kissed Livan’s cheek as he danced with an Olympic swimmer, and waved goodbye to Amelia as she chatted with Justin Timberlake and his wife in a corner, and then hopped in to her limo.  She asked the driver to stop at an In-n-Out in El Segundo, and gave him $60 to order her plenty of food, for the car ride home.

As she waited in the limo, she spotted Mike hopping out of an Uber. With sunglasses on at 10:30 at night, she laughed as she tried to watch him go unnoticed.  Luckily, the folks eating food had no interest in her car.

“Slick,” she said laughing, as Mike hopped in her limo.

“Hey, when you’re this good looking, it’s hard to avoid attention,” Mike said, earning a laugh from Ginny.  “Which by the way, that dress.”  His eyes roamed over her, his hand reaching to rub the leg that peeped out of the slit of her dress.

“You like, Lawson?”

Just then, the limo driver opened the door to the car, hopping in the driver’s seat.  He spotted Mike and his eyes went wide. Ginny explained, “Mr. Lawson decided to head back down to San Diego too, so he’s going to ride with us. You can drop both of us at my house.  He’ll pick up his car there.”

“Will do, Miss Baker,” the driver replied.  He passed the food through the privacy window, before raising the screen.

They pulled away, Ginny and Mike started to dive in to the food.  Ginny turned up the radio a bit, to drown out their conversation. “Nothing is happening in the back of this limo that can be heard by the driver.  But, lucky for you, Amelia had him sign a non-disclosure agreement, so no worries over him taking us to the same place.”

For the rest of the ride, they spent time heavy petting and making out in the backseat. They separated as the reached Camp Pendleton, giving them each time to regain some composure before they made it back in to San Diego.

After making it back to her house, they made their way upstairs to her room.  As Mike reached back to zip down her dress, Ginny spoke. “Mike, I just want to go to sleep tonight. I know you rode all the way back here, -“

“I’m good, Gin.  You know I don’t want to be with you just for sex, right?” he paused, and got a slight head nod from Ginny, “Let’s go to sleep.”

\-----

When Ginny woke up, she was looking at Mike’s back.  So far, neither of them were unconscious cuddlers, and Ginny was thankful.  As she laid behind him, she looked at the flex of his muscles as he slept, memorizing the freckles that appeared.

“What are you thinking about?” Mike asked, surprising her. He rolled over on to his back to look at her.

“Nothing important,” She said, making her way to rest her head on his chest. “We have practice today. We’ll need to get up soon.”

“Gin, the sun isn’t even up yet.  Can we just relax a moment?”

“If our nighttime phone calls over the last year have taught you anything, it should be that I can’t relax before a game.”

“We have about 36-hours until our game.  And we have about 6 hours before practice.”

“I know. But, my regular season is almost done.  If we don’t,” she broke off then, not wanting to say the words aloud.  Not wanting to allude to what might not be.  She started again, “I don’t know what I would do with all that time off.”

“You’ll still be at games. You have a new house. Evelyn has a new bar. You’ll stay busy.”

She sighed. “Okay.”

“So, have you complied our list of restaurants for our extended road trip?” Ginny wanted to make sure that if they were going to do this, be in a relationship, that they weren’t just relegated four walls and a bed.  So, she and Mike decided that they would go out on dates during road games.  Being a visiting team, the locals don’t know you as well, and the need to eat out was constant.  So, they settled on going out the night before Ginny pitched (under the guise of reviewing hitters) and/or morning breakfast after an early morning workout. 

Ginny got out of bed to grab her notebook her purse.  Mike sat up, and she sat back on the bed review the options with him.

“Alright. In Denver, I start on our second day, which is a night game. So, I’m thinking we should go to breakfast at the Denver Biscuit Company.  It’s a hot spot, but should be fairly empty on a Tuesday.  We likely won’t have a chance to go out again while we’re there, but we have a four-day stay in San Francisco.  A friend of mine told me about a crepe place in area called Cole Valley.  It’s south of Haight Street, but isn’t packed in with tourists.” Ginny said seriously, studying her notes.

Mike watched her for a moment, before kissing her shoulder, and then making his way off the bed. “Sounds good.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the bathroom to wash up, and then I’m going to the kitchen to make some coffee.  You’re making great headway on the list, but I’m not going to make it if I don’t have some caffeine soon.”

\----

Somehow, Ginny and Mike had been lucky enough to earn their Friday night game against the Giants off, meaning they weren’t required to report to AT&T park until 4:00PM.

So just after 1:00 PM, Ginny arrived at Crepes on Cole, and ordered savory crepes for her and Mike.  He was supposed to arrive about 10 minutes after her, but by 1:15, she decided to start eating without him.  By 2PM, her meal long finished, she couldn’t wait any longer.  She boxed up his cold crepe and potatoes, and ordered an uber back to her hotel.  

As she walked in to the W hotel 20 minutes later, she spotted Mike sitting in the lobby bar with a woman.  And by the unmistakable red hair, she knew it was none other than Rachel Patrick. His ex-wife, and most recently, his ex-girlfriend.  Ginny caught Mike’s eye across the lobby as she turned towards the bank of elevators.

 _Hold it together, Ginny.  It’s been two weeks,_ Ginny thought.   The elevator door opened shortly after she called for it.  Standing in the elevator alone, Mike slid in just before they closed.    As the elevator started to climb and Ginny could see his mouth open, she started first. “Take your food and don’t say anything to me.”

“Gin-“

“Not a fucking word, Lawson!” she yelled at him.  The elevator stopped, and Mike watched her as she walked off the elevator.

\----

The game that night was awkward to say the least.  Ginny was snippy with anyone who approached her, and now as she watched her team, she sat alone on the bench, separate from her teammates.  Mike wasn’t much better, but he sat off to the side with Al and Buck to discuss the game.

“I think you’re going to need to call in Stubbs soon,” Mike said.

“I think you’re right,” Al confirmed.  “You also need to go talk to Baker.  She’s about to take the head off a few of the players were going to need in the next few innings.”

“Skip, I don’t –“

“Don’t even start, Lawson.  You want to be a coach someday soon?  It means dealing with stuff like this.  Now go,” Al directed him.

Mike stood, and sat next to Ginny.  She immediately said, “Get away from me, Lawson.”

“No.  You’re throwing guys off. So, I’m going to talk. You can respond if you’d like,” he told her.  He paused for a moment, then looked at her directly.  “I’m sorry.”

“What is she doing here?”

“She’s from here. San Mateo. Her dad is ill. She was upset, sought me out. I couldn’t just leave her.”

“But you wer okay to do it to me?” Ginny asked rhetorically, finally looking at him. “A text message would’ve been nice.”  Ginny stood and walked over to Al.  “Skip, I’m not feeling well.  Are you okay if I head in to get ready to change?”

“Yeah, kid.  Feel better,” Al told her.

Ginny left the field.  She couldn’t think straight. She needed a shower and sleep, ASAP.

\----

They left San Francisco sweeping the series.  Mike was glad that he and Ginny were able to pull off the win on Sunday, but her frostiness was starting to wear on him.  Getting off the bus back at Petco, he made it a point to pull her aside before she could hop in an uber, or leave with Blip.

He grabbed her elbow, and pulled her to the side.  Ginny didn’t want to cause a scene, so she walked with him before pulling her arm away.

“We’re solving this.  Get in the car,” Mike told her.

“I’m too tired.”

“No, you’re not. If you weren’t mad at me, you’d be prodding me to do something.  So, we’re going to go do something.”

Ginny couldn’t argue with him there. She climbed in to his passenger seat.  Fifteen minutes later, they were in Hillcrest, the neighborhood bordering hers, pulling into a small parking lot off Washington Street.

“Where are we?”

“About to have some of the best Mexican food in San Diego.  C’mon,” he said.  They walked inside _El Cuervo_ , ordering two orders of rolled tacos, two quesadillas and two Mexican Cokes.  At this time in the evening, just before close, it was quiet in the restaurant, and the metal screen door would alert them to any incoming visitors.

“I’m sorry I abandoned you at that café.  I had every intention of going.  I lost track of time, and I hated seeing her upset.”

“Why did you two **really** end things?” Ginny asked.  She never got a straight answer from Mike in the past, but needed to know now that they were together.

“She cheated on me. The first time.  When we were married.  She felt as though she was sharing me with baseball,” Mike told her between bites of food. “She was right. It took me time to realize that. But last year, just after you were called up, I was ready to call it on my career.  I told her as much and asked if she’d take me back. That’s when I found out she was engaged to the guy she cheated on me with.”

Ginny watched him while eating. She didn’t want to interject or ask questions, as the moment he was sharing with her felt rare.

“The night of your Nike sponsorship party, after I drank myself sloppy, Rachel and I had a moment. We connected. Nothing happened until after that night you and I met up at Boardner’s.  But, I think it was more a response to you and me.

“Getting back together, it was clear that we didn’t know how to function with one another. She was constantly questioning if I was really leaving baseball. I felt like she was trying to force my hand.  Almost immediately, she was talking about getting remarried. We fought constantly. I couldn’t stand it.

“Towards the end of the month, I could feel her pulling away.  I told her I was done and she told me that she cheated. Again.”

Mike looked at Ginny then.  He wanted her to see how he truly felt about Rachel.

“The other day, it was the pull back in to her drama.  I knew that and I was frustrated by it. I wanted to be eating crepes with you, and instead I had her sobbing in a hotel lobby. But I was trying to be respectful of the fact that her father is really sick.  And I have no excuse for not texting you. I truly just blanked. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“So, what are you going to do now?”  Ginny asked him, her voice flat.

“I want us to get back on-”

“No. Not us. _You._ How are you going to move on from your relationship with Rachel?  You just told me about how a woman cheated on you, and you kept going back to her, seeking fulfillment.  While I want to be with you, while I want to be that person who reminds you of how great you are and all the great things you have, I can’t do it if I’m coming second to Rachel.”

“I know that,” Mike told her.  He looked at her for a moment, then pulled out his phone. “I’ll end it now. I’ll be back.”  With that, he got up and walked out of the restaurant.

When he returned a few minutes later, he took a swig of his drink, and then told Ginny, “It’s done. I told her that I was in a new relationship that I wanted to make work, and that I can’t be there for her like I used to be. She said ‘okay’ and that was it.”

Ginny threw a small smile Mike’s way.  They finished eating in silence, listening to SportsCenter that played on the restaurant’s TV, before heading out to go home.

As they pulled up to Ginny’s house, Mike idled the car in front of her main gate instead of pulling in to the garage as he had done the week before. “I’m going to head home, Gin. I need to clear my head a bit.  Do you want me to pick you up in the morning?”

“No. I’ll see you at the park. Goodnight,” Ginny said and then hopped out of the car.  She watched him pull off, a heavy feeling in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a huge music fan. If a song's melody, lyrics, or theme fit a chapter, it becomes a title. I'll update the notes section should anyone be interested in the song.
> 
> "Bedroom Wall" by Banks


	6. Coloring

To call July a good month for the Padres would be an understatement.  Ginny scored earned the win on all of her games in July, and the team only lost four games overall.

For her and Mike, Ginny would call July a draw.  They talked nightly, but it was a week before she stayed over at his place.  Another week until they both felt comfortable having sex.

She was happy that their first fight wasn’t a knockdown, drag-out fight, but it called in to question whether or not Mike was ready to be with her.  And if Ginny wanted to be with someone who had so much more life experience than her.  He’d had a whole life, a wife with plans for a family, by the time Ginny was graduating high school.  But, Ginny also knew that those pieces fell away when they were with one another.   By mid-August, she knew they were in a better place. 

Ginny found her August break to be a much-needed respite from the game.  The energy she normally had started to wane, and no longer having to get work in first thing in the morning was a blessing.  One particular morning, she had gone outside to enjoy her morning coffee on the deck off the master bedroom when she was woken up by Mike. 

“Hey,” she said, opening her eyes slowly and smiling up at him.

“Good morning.  Are you okay? I’ve been trying to wake you for the last few minutes and you weren’t responding. I almost started to call 9-1-1.”

“I’m okay. Just tired.  What time is it?”

“It’s just after 10:00.  What time did you come out here?”

“Around 6. I had a cup of coffee.”

Mike looked at her with wide eyes, knowing how coffee usually left her wired throughout the day.  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m okay,” Ginny said, trying to reassure him.

“The twins’ party starts in a few hours.  I need to pick them up a gift. Want to go shopping with me?”

“Yeah. Let me get dressed and then we can head out.”

\-------

A few hours later, they were in Evelyn’s restaurant, enjoying the full-on, kids party.  Most of the guests consisted of players, WAGs and their kids.  Ginny found her way to the kitchen to help Evelyn prep the cupcake towers.

“So, how’s the downtime treating you?” Evelyn asked as they stacked the cupcake tower.

“It hasn’t been too bad. I’m taking an art class for a few weeks.  I’ve been sleeping a lot.  I still report to the clubhouse just in case, but in some ways, it’s been nice to have a reprieve from the game.”

“I’m sure.  You’re also looking very stylish nowadays.  Especially now. For a party filled with kids.”  Ginny was dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans, a v-neck t-shirt, and a pair of chucks.

“Hasn’t this been your dream?  To break me out of workout wear?  And I’m in no way dressed up.  I’m in ripped jeans and t-shirt.”

“It’s how you’re popping out of that t-shirt, my dear!  Now, let’s head out with these cupcakes before these kids destroy my restaurant,” Evelyn said, carrying two of the cupcake towers out to the main dining room.

Ginny noticed how tight her bras were fitting, and thus, her shirts. She thought she was being self-conscious, but now that others realized it, maybe it was hormonal.

She rejoined the main room, sitting on a stool at the bar.   Mike came towards her with a glass of grape soda.  “Evelyn told me she keeps it on tap because you requested it.”

“Thanks,” Ginny said, taking a sip.  She immediately retched back.  “Ugh. This isn’t mixed well.” Ginny placed the glass on the counter. 

Mike picked it up and took a sip. “Taste okay to me.  Are you sure you’re okay?”

 “Yeah. I’m good.  However, I need to go to sleep early tonight.  I want to get work in before the game starts tomorrow.”

“The guys invited me out to drink tonight, so that works for me.”

“Why didn’t they invite me?” Ginny asked, feigning hurt.

“Guys night, Baker. You can’t work your way in to those.”

\-----

The weather in St. Louis was stifling.  The heat and humidity made Ginny feel nauseous.  She tried to drink as much water as possible, but it didn’t seem to help.

“Baker, are you okay?” Livan called out to her, seeing how green she looked as they sat on the bench.  It was the bottom of the fifth, and with half a game left, they would be at least another hour.

“I don’t think so,” Ginny said.  “I’m going to head in.  Hopefully a shower will help.”  As she stood, she wobbled slightly.

“Woah, mamí!,” Livan said as he jumped up to help stabilize her.  He called out to Al. “Skip! I’m going to walk Baker back to the lockers. She’s not feeling well.”

Al nodded.  Ginny walked on her own into the hallway leading to the club house, not wanting the cameras to catch her ill.  However, as soon as she was in the tunnel, she ran to the first trashcan in sight to vomit.  Livan ran back to the dugout to grab some water, and returned to find Baker slumped on the ground, half conscious.  Her eyes started to close.

“I need some help over here!” Livan called out to the Pro-Staff security.  Two guards ran over, quickly radioing for medics.  “Mamí, open your eyes.  Baker! Baker!”

Ginny’s eyes started to flutter open.  She looked at Livan, before bending over to her side to throw up again.  The medics ran over, assessing Ginny.  “We need to get her to a hospital.  Let’s move,” the medic said to his colleague.

“Can I go with?” Livan asked.

\----

“Mike, I need to talk to you,” Al said, calling Lawson back to the visiting manager’s locker room immediately following the end of the game.  He walked back to find the room absent of Buck, which was abnormal.

“What’s going on, Skip?”

“It’s Baker. She’s in the hospital.”

“What?!” Mike said. His adrenaline spiked. “I gotta go.”

“You don’t even know which one she’s at.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Once you sit.”  Mike and Al stared at one another until Mike caved.

“Where is she?”

“She’s in a hospital. She safe and okay.  Livan is with her.”

“Al,”

“What’s going on? Why are you this worked up? I’ve never seen you this worked up over a player before,” Al said.

“Al,”

“I don’t want to hear this kid sister stuff. I’ve been around for a bit.”

“Baker is my girlfriend.  We’ve been seeing one another, officially, since the All-Star break.  No one knows.”

“That’s what I thought.  She’s at Barnes-Jewish Hospital,” Al barely said before Mike jumped up.  Just before opening the door, Al shared, “You can’t live a full life in the shadows, Lawson.”

 

\-----

Mike called Livan, getting Ginny’s room number from him.  He walked in, still in uniform and dirty from the game, and spotted Livan in the chair by her bed.  He knocked on the door to catch her their attention before stepping in to the room.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” Livan said before making his way out of her room, and pulling the door shut behind him.

“How are you?” Ginny asked Mike as he sat in the chair beside her bed.

“Geez, Gin. I should be asking you.  What happened?”

Ginny took a deep breath before she answered.  “Miscarriage.”

“What?! How-…When-“

“I thought my period was heavy because I was late.  I didn’t think much about being late because I’m late at least once a year.  But, they ran blood tests when I got here, and it said I was pregnant.   I couldn’t have been more than a month.”

“Ginny,” Mike started before falling silent, sure what to say after that.

“I don’t want a kid, Mike.  At least, not now. Not while I’m getting my career settled and not before I’m a wife.

“I hear you. We’re on the same page.”

Ginny nodded. “Livan knows about us. He was here when the doctor confirmed the miscarriage.  I felt I needed to explain after the support he gave me today.”

“I told Al. He called me out when I started to worry after hearing you were here.”

“Our plan took a month to implode,” Ginny said laughing.  It didn’t take long for her laughter to turn in to tears.  Mike moved out of the chair, and climbed in beside her on the bed. “No sex for two weeks.”

“Okay,” Mike said. “Is that how long it takes to recover?”

“No.  That’s when I’m okay to have sex again after getting an IUD, which I’m getting back in San Diego.  And that doesn’t mean we’re passing on the condoms,” Ginny shared with a slight laugh.

\--------

Ginny got the okay from the front office to not report to the rest of the games on their road trip, since she wouldn’t be able to pitch in a starting or relief role. She could stay home, which was helpful for how crazy the media went after hearing about her medical emergency in St. Louis.  Amelia decided she would be there to help Ginny recover, and be her support system during her downtime. Now, Amelia sat in her bedroom, as they drank coffee and watched the updates on ESPN.

“The questions are starting to die down. You still have a week left until you start again. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” Ginny replied.  She hadn’t opened up to Amelia when she first returned to San Diego, but felt it was now time. “I had a miscarriage and severe dehydration in St. Louis. I had an IUD put in two days ago.”

“G…I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.  I’m turning 25 in a little more than a month and I’m in the second year of my major league career. A child is not part of the plan for a while.”

Amelia offered a small smile. “So, you and Mike, huh?”

“Yeah…about that.  I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. We didn’t tell anyone.  And I’m still not ready to make a public announcement.”

“Well, you did a good job. Keeping it under wraps. You keep moving like that and it’ll make my job easy.”

“Speaking of, I appreciate you looking in to colleges for me. I read over the materials yesterday, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll work with my playing schedule.  However, I did want to ask you about your job.”

“What about it?”

“Being an agent seems interesting.  At minimum, I could work to bring more women in to the league.   Can you tell me about how you got started?”

Amelia and Ginny spent the day chatting about Amelia’s life as an agent, Ginny’s new endorsement deals, and bad reality television.  Midday, they decided to head out to get pedicures.

“Are you ready for your next start in a few days?” Amelia asked Ginny as they settled into the pedicure chairs.  Ginny was set to return on August 30th against the Giants.

“I’m so ready.  Pitching again will make me feel like I’m back to normal.  I know I won’t be pitching regularly, but more so than I have the last few weeks.”

“You’re going to do great.”

“You know, I missed doing stuff like this,” Ginny said.

“Growing up?” Amelia asked her.

“No.  I mean, yes, I missed it growing up, but, I missed my friendship with you.   I know we butted heads over my career, but when I first got to San Diego, and even after you started working as my agent in San Antonio, I knew you had my back as my friend.  We could hang out and laugh about things. It was important to me. Still is.  Thank you for being here,” Ginny told her.  Amelia reached out and grabbed her hand.

“I appreciate your friendship too.  So, what else are we doing with your day off?”

“I’m starving.  I was thinking we could go to Phil’s?”

“Works for me.”

\-----

The restaurant was packed as usual, but with the Padres game on television, it was busier than usual.  They were able to get a table on the patio outside, perfect for a warm night at the end of August. 

Just as she and Amelia sat down, Ginny’s phone rang with Mike’s name coming up on the screen.

“Hey,” she said softly.  They talked infrequently since she left the road trip to return to San Diego.

“It’s ‘Seventh Inning Stretch”. What are you doing?”

“I’m at Phil’s with Amelia. I was craving barbecue.  Can we talk later tonight?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.  I’ll talk to you later.”

“Thanks.  Bye,” Ginny said, hanging up the phone with a small smile.

“That glow is new,” Amelia said. “I’m glad to see it, Gin.”

“Thanks, Amelia.  I know I broke a girl-code –"

“No, you didn’t.  I know I said we were seeing each other, but there wasn’t any level of commitment or emotion involved.”

“But you wanted it.”

“With someone who wasn’t able to give it.  I knew he had feelings for someone else.   When he dated Rachel for a moment, I thought that was it. But once I saw those pictures of you two in Mexico, I got clarity on the situation.  His emotional tie to you led him to seek me out.”

“I’m so sorry,” Ginny said, looking down ashamed.

“I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty. I want you to be aware of what you have.”

“What’s that? A playboy boyfriend who is intimately familiar with half the city?”

“No.  A man that is so in love with you he did everything he could to be near you without destroying your career.  A man that calls you from across the country in the middle of a 15 minute break, just to say hi.  There was no code to break because it’s not the same guy,” Amelia told her.

“So, what about you, huh?  Have you been seeing anyone?”

“Actually, I’ve gone on a couple of dates with Oscar.”

“My boss, Oscar?!”

“Yeah.  He’s a really nice guy. Starting over like I am. He was seeing someone, but she took a job out of the country so they ended things.”

“Wait, starting over like you are?  Were you married?”

At that moment, the food buzzer went off.

“Food’s ready,” Amelia said, hopping up to grab their lunch.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title: "Coloring" by Kevin Garrett
> 
> Thank you for your patience. Another chapter coming soon.


	7. Lips

The first day Ginny returned to the clubhouse after her leave, she felt good.    Being a Padre has provided her with an army of brothers, and with the distance still existing in the relationship with her biological brother, this group made her feel normal.

“Knock, knock,” came Blip’s voice from behind Ginny as she was sorting the items in her locker.  Ginny ran over and threw an arm around him.

“I missed you,” Ginny said.

“I know. I missed you too.  I’m sorry I couldn’t make it by. Things have been a bit crazy lately.”

“Ev said the same thing when she stopped by to drop off food after I got back. What’s going on?”

“Why don’t we update you tomorrow?  Ev and I can to make brunch at the house,” Blip offered.

“That sounds perfect,” Ginny said with a smile.

“So…are you ready to be back out there?  Properly hydrated?”

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” Ginny asked.  She could take the ribbing over dehydration, as long as she didn’t have to acknowledge the miscarriage that went it.

“Not any time soon.”

“Yeah, I’m ready.  I can’t stop thinking about my last game last season.  It was around this time.  I gonna do it, Blip.  This time, no walks.”

“Ginny…”

“I’m serious.  Tell the outfield to be ready.”

Blip eyed her for a moment, and could tell she was serious. “Okay. We’ve got your back.”

\--------------

Ginny was sitting in the clubhouse with her headphones on, reviewing heat maps for the game.  She and Mike had discussed the hitters earlier, but she wanted to make sure she was ready.  She knew when she woke up this morning that this would be her game.

Her life felt like she was finally going in the right direction.  She owned her own home, financially secure, was in a committed relationship, she had amazing friends, a strong working relationship, and a team behind her.  Sure, she had drama when it came to her family, but living 3,000 miles away from them helped to keep it in the back of her mind.

She sensed the change in lighting, and looked up to find Mike in front of her. She slid her headphones off to hear him speak.

“You’re the last one in here.  Game starts in 20 minutes.  Don’t you need to hit the bullpen?” Mike asked her.

“Yeah. I just lost track of time.   I just need to grab my glove,” Ginny said, making her way to her locker.   Mike followed her to the room, and watched as she moved to store her headphones and cell, and grabbed her glove.

“Babe –“

“Don’t.  Not here.  I need to be in full on baseball mode.”

“Fine. Baker, are you okay?”

“Yeah.  I just need you to go all out for me today.”

“When haven’t I gone all out for you?” Mike asked her.

“I know. I just, I need to say it.  I’m still feel like I’m fighting this tide that says I’m not supposed to be here. So today, I plan to prove that I do.”

“Well, the first step in doing so is getting warmed up.  Let’s go.”

\-------

Ginny imagined her teammates were excited for her, but a bit bored by the game.  However, she wouldn’t know for sure. Halfway through the seventh, she was pitching so well, only one batter had made contact with the ball in fair play thus far.  Every other batter had fouled the ball or struck out.

Ginny wouldn’t make the same mistake she made last time.  She held down her own corner of the dugout, kept her arm warm in her coat, and kept her mouth closed. 

Now at the bottom of the seventh, she made her way to bat.  Being a pitcher allowed for low-expectations in the batter’s box.  The goal is to always walk and steal.   She’d hit two balls into the outfield this season, but that was pure chance.  However, this time, as she watched the ball, the bat carried a different weight over her shoulder as she made contact.

She connected at an odd angle, but as she approached first base, she saw the ball drop just behind the right fielder (who, to be honest, was standing too far forward). Ginny sped up at that point, making her way past first and on to second.  She got the sign to stay at second.   She could hear the home crowd cheer her as her hit brought in two runs.

While Ginny kept her game face on, she couldn’t help but feel proud of her accomplishment.  Melky and Sanders were the next two batters up, both hitting singles, and advancing Ginny towards home.  Another accomplishment for the books – being the first woman to score a run in a major league baseball game.

Unfortunately, the next two outs came quickly, with an in-field pop fly by Voorhies, and an infield play off Salvamini’s hit.

As they transitioned to the eighth inning, Ginny took a drink of water and a deep breath. This was the same point she injured herself last time.  So far, she’d thrown 82 pitches.  For her, that number was unheard of at this point in a game.  She knew she run the risk of getting pulled after 100 pitches.  But there was no way they would pull her in the ninth if she was only three outs away.  It was decided.

Three batters. Nine pitches. Three strikeouts for the 8th.

In the ninth, a hit picked up by Voorhies at short, and fielded to Salvamini for the out at first. The second batter down in a strike out. 

Taking a deep breath, Ginny threw her next pitch. Mike called for the fastball.  Hit clean and away, it sailed over the in-field, and caught just left of Center by Sanders at the wall. 

Game over. It was a perfect game. First in Padres history. First woman in the majors to do so. The 24th person to ever do so.

The first person to Ginny was Voorhies.  He hoisted her up by the knees, allowing her to still be visible to the fans as her teammates congregated around her.  The noise coming from Petco was unreal. After being placed on the ground, her teammates hugged her while whispering congratulations in her ear.  She returned to the dugout for water, before returning to her field to signal a thank you to the crowd.

\--------

Ginny put her glove in her locker, before falling in to her chair with her head in her hands.

She did it.

Just then, she heard the door to her room close, and Lawson appear behind her.  She moved quickly towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face into his chest.  Shortly after, Amelia knocked on the door before entering the room.

Ginny quickly moved to hug Amelia.  “You did it girl!”

“We did it,” Ginny said, pulling back to smile at her agent and friend.

“Gin, the team has something for you,” Mike said, cutting in to their moment.

“Okay. Let’s go,” Ginny opened the door, walked in to the middle of the empty clubhouse.

“What am I waiting for?” Ginny asked, turning around to Mike.  At that moment, her teammates emerged from the showers and hallways, spraying her with champagne in celebration.

\------

That night, Ginny made her way to Mike’s house instead of out to the bars. She promised Amelia dinner the next evening, but tonight, she wanted to celebrate her win with one person.

Mike was cooking dinner while she wrapped up a phone call with her mom upstairs.  After she ended the phone call, Ginny made her way to the kitchen.  She found Mike at the stove, and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

“What smells so good?” she asked him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“The brussel sprouts.  I added in carrots and bacon.  It should be done in a few minutes.  How’s your mom?”

“She’s good.  She told me that she watched the game with my brother.  Which was surprising to hear as he still won’t take a call from me.”

“You sent him out of SD with his tail between his legs.  It’s going to take some time.”

“A year?”

“Maybe.  But, that’s a worry for another day.  Tonight, we’re celebrating.  Do you want red or white?”

“White. The Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect.”

Mike plated the food, and brought the plates to the table along with the bottle of wine.  He poured them each a glass.  “To being the first woman, and the first padre, to pitch a perfect game.”

Ginny smiled, and they clinked glasses.  “Thank you,” she said.  “Can we talk?”

“I thought that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Ginny smiled at him before responding. “You’re an ass.”

“I know.”

“I’m serious. I want to talk about San Francisco…and St. Louis.”

Mike set his fork down, and turned to face Ginny. “What do you want to talk about?”

“What are we doing? You’re playing the best you’ve played in the last five years. I’m not looking to leave the game anytime soon.  We might have had a baby.  You’re 37 – I mean, do you want kids? A family? You’ve been married before – do you want to get married again? Are you committed to never marrying, and instead embracing bachelorhood? Have you thought about where we’re heading? Is it marriage?  Have you thought about what it means to be married to a black woman? To have black kids?”  Ginny stopped, realizing her honest questions towards Mike flowed into the questions she had been asked herself.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to put that all on y-“

“We’re dating…exclusively. I have been playing well this season and I have thought about whether walking away makes sense. And, we may have had a baby.  I would’ve been okay with that, but I know you don’t want kids right now. But I want a family. Kids.  And I’m okay with being an older dad if I don’t lose all of my mobility to baseball.  Which is why I think it is time for me to step away.   I do want to get married again.  I think that’s where we’re heading – not in the next month – but yeah, I want to marry you,” Mike told her.

Ginny smiled at him, then picked up her fork to return to her food.  She paused as she heard him continue.

“You’re not my first black girlfriend. Or the second.  However, the second one did teach me how to wrap her hair.  She was a 4B. I’m also not worried or concerned about having black kids,” Mike shared, before taking a bite of his food.

At that statement, Ginny leaned over and gave him a quick kiss.

“I love you,” Mike said.

Ginny smiled, and replied, “I love you, too.”

 

\-----

The next morning, Ginny and Mike made their way to the Sanders’s house for morning brunch.   They were greeted at the door by the twins, before making their way to the great room to meet with Evelyn and Blip.

“Hey!  You got here at the same time!” Blip said, as he spotted them walking through the door.

Ginny smiled brightly while Mike mumbled “Something like that,” under his breath.  Ginny and Mike decided they were going to tell Evelyn and Blip, arguably their best friends, over brunch.  After they heard why they were here so early.

“Where’s Ev?” Ginny asked Blip, taking a seat at the dining table next to Mike.

“She’ll be down in a minute,” Blip said, as he brought food over to the table.  “Boys, why don’t you head upstairs to play a game?”

The twins took off running up the stairs, as Evelyn came in to view with an infant on her hip.  “Good morning, everyone.”

“What’s going on? Whose baby is this?” Ginny asked.

“This is Janet, and she is our daughter,” Evelyn said, bringing a high chair from the corner, and seating the baby at the table.

“Did I miss something?” Mike asked, trying to read Blip and Evelyn.

Blip laughed before asking “Evelyn, can you explain?  I can’t take the look on Mike’s face anymore.”

“Fine.  Blip and I are in the process of adopting Janet.  We started the process in October last year,” Evelyn shared.

“That’s amazing.  What made you decide to adopt?” Mike asked.

“Well, after the partnership with Will ended, Blip wanted to resume the plan to have another child.  However, I did not.  We fought for all of September about it and then got to the heart of the matter: I wanted a career that wouldn’t be postponed in the event of a difficult pregnancy and labor, and I didn’t want to feel like I was raising twin boys and an infant alone.”

“So, we came to a consensus,” Blip shared. “We’d pursue adoption.  Give a home to a child in need.  No worries about labor and deliver.  And I’m going to take a leave of absence from the Padres next season.  Go on the DL and be at home with Janet and the boys for a bit.  Ev will balance family and work.  Then, when I head back to the team, the restaurant should be in a position where Ev can go in 2-3 days a week instead of daily.”

“Congratulations, you guys,” Ginny said.  “How long has Janet been with you?”

“She was dropped off last week.  It happened faster than we thought.  For now, we’re fostering to adopt.  It’s possible that she won’t be with us permanently, but for now, we’re going to function as though she is.”

“So, I saw you two get out of the car together,” Evelyn said with a smile.

“We rode up here together, but we did have something we wanted to share with you,” Ginny said, anxiousness coating her voice.

Mike jumped in.  “Ginny and I are seeing each other.  We’ve actually been together since July,” he said, looking between Blip and Evelyn.  The difference in reaction was immediate, with Evelyn’s eyes and smile growing quickly, while Blip’s settled into a scowl.

“Outside.  Now!” Blip said, gesturing for Mike.

\-----

Blip and Mike made their way to the far end of the yard, and away from the eager ears in the house.

“What are you doing, Mike?” Blip asked as he picked up a handful of darts.

“What do you mean?  I really care about Ginny.”

“You can’t just _date_ Ginny. You’re captain of this team. She’s just getting started.”

“I know this, Blip.”

“Then you know dating her isn’t enough.  You need to be committed.  I’m not saying you need to marry her –”

“I want to.”

“What?”

“I want to marry her.  I’m not going to ask her today.  Probably not even in the next few months because she’d freak out.  But, I’m there. I’m serious about her,” Mike shared.

“What about the team?  What’s the plan there?”

“I’m near the end.  I just don’t know if I can push my knees another season.  I also know that I can’t be with Ginny and stay in the game.”

“Have you told the front office?

“About Ginny and me?”

“No. Well, Yes.  We’ll come back to that.  I meant about you walking away from the game.”

“No. I wanted to focus on getting in to the playoffs.”

“We’re in the playoffs now. We have the best record in the National League.  So what’s the game plan?”

Mike was quiet for a bit, as he watched Blip shoot darts.  When he finished, he spoke up.

“End of the month.  I’ll make an announcement at the start of the pennant chase that it’s my last season with the Padres.”

\-----

True to his word, Mike made his way to the front office at the end of September and formally informed Oscar and Charlie of his decision to retire at the end of the 2017 season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title Inspired by: "Lips" by Marian Hill


	8. Water Under the Bridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly NSFWish at the start...

Ginny was close. So close.  She hiked her leg up high on his hip, opening herself up further to his deep thrusts.  Just as she started to reach her peak, Mike’s hand found her clit.  As her orgasm hit, Mike’s did as well.  He stayed on top of her as they came down from their mutual high, before rolling off of her.  They both spent a moment catching their breath before Ginny climbed out of bed.

“Where are you going?”

“We’ve got an important game tonight Old man.  We need to win tonight’s game and get back on track.  I gotta go workout if it’s going to happen.”

Ginny walked into the bathroom of his master suite.  Mike was supposed to stay at her house last night but missed the exit in his sleep deprived state.  Ginny fell asleep in the passenger seat by the time they reached the 5 and woke up as they passed through Bay Ho.  Too far from her place, and rapidly moving towards his, they agreed to stay at his place and wake up early to make it into the stadium before the rest of the team. 

Mike joined Ginny to shower and sneak a quick replay of their early morning activities.

\-----

After they had showered, Mike dressed and made his way to the kitchen to prep some pre-workout meals.  When Ginny arrived, he poured her a cup of coffee, and return to the stove.

“Something is on your mind,” Ginny said, noticing Mike’s quietness as he moved around his kitchen.

“It’s weird to think that I won’t be a ballplayer in a few days.”

“I understand.  You’ve been amazing this season.  Do you still believe that it’s time?”

Mike gazed at her, before shrugging his shoulders.  He couldn’t deny that he felt like he had another season in him, but he made his decision.  “I’ve put off telling you this, but I spoke to the front office before our first game in the series. About the end of my career.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I just…I didn’t want you to debate being an ‘us’ and whether or not that is compatible with playing this game.  I’ve had that conversation before, and I know how it ends.

“You’re forgetting something,” Ginny said with a small smile. “I’m not Rachel.”

“I know.”

“I’m happy for you, though. There’s nothing like going out on top.  And you’ll still be a Padre,” Ginny told him.  “Now, I’m starving.  Let’s eat.”

\-------

 

The fact that they were up 2-0 at the top of the 6th was surprising, as defense wasn’t pulling its weight as it should.  But in a battle against the Red Sox, with one more out to end the inning, the Padres’ ability to play in a Santa Ana heatwave was working in its favor.

The main issue so far?  Mike’s changing calls.  She and Mike reviewed hitters, and she thought they were on the same page.  But now as he called for her change-up again, she wasn’t so sure they were even in the same book.

Not wanting to throw him off, she sent her change-up over the plate.  The batter popped the ball up above Mike.  He caught it off the backstop and ran towards home to tag out the incoming runner.  As Ginny made her way to meet him, Mike made it towards home and collided with the incoming runner.

Out.

Mike wasn’t getting up.  Instead, his glove remained over his face while he rolled to his side.  Ginny moved on autopilot, running over to him while signaling to the dugout.

It seemed like a cruel reversal of fate.  A little more than a year ago, it was Ginny in agony at home plate.  Ginny’s heart broke at the sight of her partner in sport, and currently, life, try to grin and bear through the pain.

Two of the athletic trainers came out on the field, helping Mike off and into the clubhouse.  Ginny followed behind them, before being stopped by Al.

“Baker,” Al said, finally catching her attention on his third attempt.  Ginny’s eyes snapped to Al’s at that moment. “Unless something crazy happens, this is your last game.  Your last opportunity this season to be the first woman to win a World Series game. Now, I can pull you out, and we can see if some of these other guys can secure a win.  Or you can go back out and shut down these next two batters.  Blip and Melky are up to bat.  What do you want to do?”

Ginny took a deep breath. Tried to image what Mike’s response would be.  He’d tell her that she's a gamer. To go back out there. That he was going to stretch with a trainer.

After another breath, she responded, “I’ll finish out the inning. I’ll get the outs, and then I’m done.”

Two outs later, Ginny walked calmly out the field, until she reached the dugout.  Then, her walk became a sprint into the clubhouse.

\------

After a quick rinse off, Ginny was throwing on street clothes to head out to see Mike.   After one of the clubhouse attendants had told her that the trainers sent Mike to a hospital to scans of his knee done, Ginny knew she needed to be with him.

Opening the door to leave, Ginny found herself face-to-face with Amelia.

“Good. At the very least you’ve changed.  I have a car waiting in the tunnel, and I have a fresh tube of mascara in my bag.  Waterproof in case you cry.”

Ginny hugged Amelia quickly and then took off towards the hospital.  Probably by request, Mike was at Sharp, about 15 minutes from the stadium, instead of Scripps Mercy (which was closer to Petco).

She located in a private room on the fifth floor.

“Hey baby,” Ginny said walking over to him and giving him a quick kiss.

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean?  You’re here.  How are you?”

“You should be at the game.”

“I already played my innings.  Have yo-“

“You should go.”

“What?”

“I don’t want you here right now, Baker.”

Ginny was baffled by Mike’s distance.

“Seriously.  Go home. I’ll call you.”

“Mike-“

“Baker.  Go home,” Mike said forcefully as he avoided eye contact.

Ginny gave Mike one last look, before stalking out of Mike’s hospital room.

\-----------

Ginny moved around her bedroom, packing her bag for the next two games in the series, listening to the latest sports headlines when an announcement piqued her interest.

“Ginny Baker became the first woman to win a finals game in any of the four major league sports.  Luckily, she was able to do so with her favorite battery-mate before he left the game with what the Padres organization is now reporting to be an ACL tear.”

He’d talk to Oscar and Charlie before her. 

Ginny threw her toiletries in her bag and made her way out of the door for her road trip.

As she stepped outside of her main gate towards the car she ordered, she stopped as she saw Mike standing outside the black SUV.

“I called Amelia this morning and asked her to adjust your car service reservation to pick me up first.  Figured we could talk on the ride to the airport.”

“The airport is on the other side of the freeway from here.  That isn’t much time to do the amount of apologizing you’ll need to do to make up for last night.”

“Gin –“

“Why are you even going on this trip? Shouldn’t you be at home, on meds, with an ACL tear?”

“This is my first and last world series.  It’s killing me to not be able to play.  I at least need to be with my team.”

“Let’s go,” Ginny said, making her way behind the SUV to get in on the driver’s side. 

After they both had climbed into the car, Mike started again. “Ginny, -”

“Lawson, don’t.  I’m tired. Waiting up for you to call me didn’t help.  So, for the five minutes we must spend in each other’s company, can you just be quiet?” Ginny snapped.

Mike watched her, and nodded, before turning forward.

\--------------

A soft knock on her hotel room door called Ginny’s attention.  Peering through the peephole, she let out a deep sigh before opening the door.

“Can I come in?”

Ginny stepped back to allow him into the room.

“You should sit in the chair.”

Mike sat in Ginny’s chair, not wanting to egg her on more than he’d already had.  “I’m sorry I didn’t call last night.”

“You told Charlie and Oscar before me.”

“Not exactly.  I signed a release to the team doctor after I arrived at the hospital.  He disclosed the tear to Oscar and Charlie.  I didn’t get home until 3:00 AM, and I didn’t want to wake you. That’s why I didn’t call.”

“Why’d you send me away?”

“Ego. I felt like my age betrayed me.  Getting injured is not the best way to impress your 24-year-old girlfriend.”

“God, you’re an idiot!”

“I know. Will you forgive me?”

“You know I will.  I did the same thing to you a year ago,” Ginny acknowledged.

“Worse.  You disappeared for two months. Ran off to another country.”

“I get it…smartass.”

“I know,” Mike said, with a small smile. “I would love nothing more right than to curl up with you right now.  What do you say?”

“I say we go to your room.  There’s no way you, that brace and those crutches are going to make it out of this room before the rest of our teammates get up.”

“Sounds good.  But Gin, I think it’s time to tell them.”

“About?”

“Us.”

“No way.”

“Gin, I’m done. Luckily, an I’ll be able to bounce back from an ACL tear faster than a knee replacement, but it’s not going to be this season.  And I’m ready to start the next chapter.  With you. In the open.”

“You know, my first game back after St. Louis, I went to talk to Skip about us.  Right as I as getting ready to open my mouth, he tells me ‘ _A full life can’t be lived in the shadows’._ ”

“He said the same thing to me before I went to go see you in the hospital.  So, what do you think?”

“If we win tomorrow night, we tell the team and plan to go public.”

“Well, you better let Amelia know.  We’re not losing tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspiration: "Water Under the Bridge" by Adele


End file.
